*For Android. Accessories shown in the pictures and features mentioned in the text may not be part of the standard equipment. The contents are not binding and are subject to change without notice. These are indicative specifications for reference only. Colours may not match the actual colours due to printing limitations.
**First time ever in class which is defined as compact hatch as per SIAM.

Tata Bolt Preview

The Tata Bolt is the Pune based automaker’s new hatchback for the Indian market. Based on their X1 platform which underpins the Indica Vista hatchback, the Bolt features an all too familiar silhouette but is a whole new animal in terms of features and overall design philosophy. It will also be offered with the Indian automaker’s new 1.2-litre 140bhp Revtron mill as well as the all too familiar 1.3-litre Quadrajet diesel engine.

This next-generation global car from Tata Motors showcases the new DNA of the company and boasts of newness in terms of design (DesigNext), drivablilty (DriveNext) and connectivity (ConnectNext). The company says that the name Bolt itself signifies speed and represents, according to the company, a winner’s attitude. It comes with several segment first features and employs a new design language for the interiors as well as the exteriors.

At the front it gets an aggressive fascia, new grille and sleek shaped headlights that stretch from the middle of the bonnet to the grille. On the sides the window lines swoop down in curve towards the rear hatch which now seems to be devoid of the Christmas tree lamps. However, what rear does get are rounded edges and certain styling cues from slightly more premium cars.

It features a white and black combination interior setup with seemingly premium plastics as well as gauges mounted behind the steering and a touch screen created by Harmann for the Tata Bolt and Zest CS. However, on the lower spec variants we expect that Tata will offer beige interiors.

In terms of engines, Tata will offer this hatchback with the 1.2-litre Revtron engine which is petrol powered and produces 84bhp/140Nm. The diesel engine on the other hand is the 1.3-litre Quadrajet diesel. Transmission options include the five-speed manual as well as an AMT which is a first for Tata especially in this segment.

We expect that Tata will price the Bolt in the range of 4.6 lakh Rupees to 6.6 lakh Rupees and it will have four petrol and three diesel variants. It will compete with the Grand i10, Maruti Suzuki Swift, Chevrolet Sail and VW Polo.

Tata Zest Preview

The Tata Zest compact sedan is the second car in the Pune based automaker from its new generation of vehicles. First shown just ahead of the Auto Expo, the Zest is a CS version of the Bolt hatchback.

It features a very similar design to that of the hatchback but includes a noticeable but quite decent looking boot. It makes use of the same engine, underpinnings, interior design as well as feature list from the hatchback.

he Tata Zest follows the same principle in terms with the Bolt hatchback in terms of design and overall appearance. The side profile remains the same up to the C-Pillar but thanks to the boot has a different appearance. At the back the lights have a similar design to that of the hatchback with a stubby boot lid.

Inside the interiors are exactly the same as the hatchback including the overall layout, features and upholstery. The list includes Harman touchscreen music system, gauges behind the steering wheel and white upholstery for the top spec variants and beige for the others in the range.

In terms of engines, Tata will offer this compact sedan with the 1.2-litre Revtron engine which is petrol powered and produces 84bhp/140Nm. The diesel engine on the other hand is the 1.3-litre Quadrajet diesel. Transmission options include the five-speed manual as well as an AMT which is a first for Tata especially in this segment.

We expect that Tata will price the Zest in the range of 5.5 lakh Rupees to 7.6 lakh Rupees and it will have four petrol and three diesel variants. It will compete with the Grand i10 based Xcent sedan, Maruti Suzuki Dzire, Chevrolet Sail sedan, Honda Amaze and VW Vento.

n the run up to the Auto Expo, Tata Motors has taken the wraps off two new models – the Bolt hatchback (internally called the Falcon 4) and the Zest compact sedan (Falcon 5). The introductions are part of Tata Motors’ large-scale plans to inject desirability into its product range.

As you may be aware, the Bolt and Zest are built on a thoroughly updated version of the Tata Vista’s X1 platform. However, Tata has really made a huge effort to ensure these cars are not considered mere facelifts, but all-new cars. Comprehensive sheet-metal changes and new body panels make the Bolt look very different from the existing Vista; the Bolt’s glasshouse has been carried forward unchanged, and is the only real link to the older car’s design. Frontal styling is aggressive with a heavily sculpted front bumper, smart projector headlamps, and a new grille, and you can see a lot of influences from the Tata Manza Hybrid concept that was shown at the 2012 Auto Expo. There’s a thick character line down the side to liven things up and the rear gets blacked out C-pillars, but the big news is the departure from the tall, vertically stacked tail lights which is the original Indica signature, to a more conventional design, which does look more distinctive.

The Zest is the latest compact sedan from the Tata stable that will take on the Dzire, Amaze and Xcent. Here are five facts you need to know about it

What’s new?

The Zest (codenamed Falcon 5) is a sub-4 metre sedan based on the X1 platform that underpins the Manza and shares a common framework and chassis. It will take on the Honda Amaze, Maruti Dzire and the soon to be launched Hyundai Xcent when it is introduced in the second half of FY2014-15. It is 3995 mm long, 1695 mm wide and 1570 mm in height. While in profile, the Zest resembles the Vista /Manza duo, the front and rear styling are completely new as are several ingredients in the car like the petrol engine, suspension, steering and ABS and even the electricals have been overhauled. The interior template is same as the Manza but has been thoroughly re-worked as well to give the Zest a more premium feel.

ny mechanical changes?

The Zest has been extensively re-engineered since Tata Motors wants this car and its hatchback sibling, the Bolt to have a fun to drive character. The company says that this has been achieved by putting the car through its paces with ex-F1 driver Narain Karthikeyan at the helm. His inputs have made the Zest and the Bolt more enjoyable driving machines adds Tata Motors. The front suspension is all-new dual-path McPherson strut setup and the rear independent suspension has been tweaked as well. Tata Motors says that it isolates the cabin better from road surface undulations and improves handling characteristics. Tata Motors has also developed a new ABS system with Bosch to improve cornering stability. With suspension and braking covered, the steering was the final part of the re-engineering. This has been addressed by switching the hydraulic power steering with the easier to use electronic power assisted steering.

The Indian market is set to see a spate of launches in the sub-four-metre sedan segment over the next few months, with Tata Motors, Ford India and Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) unveiling entry-level products in the category in the run-up to International Auto Expo this week.

While Tata Motors introduced its new sub-four-metre sedan, Zest, powered by the company’s new Revotron gasoline engine, Ford India made the global premiere of sedan Figo Concept on Monday in New Delhi. Hyundai will unveil its compact sedan based on the Grand i10 platform on Tuesday.

Zest would hit the road in the second half of this year and would also be available in diesel versions. Ford declined to specify a launch date for the compact sedan but Ford India President Nigel Harris said, “It is close to production and would not take several years.”

Kumar Galhotra, vice-president, engineering, Ford Motor Company, said, “With the Figo Concept, we are showing that choosing a compact sedan does not mean compromising on premium design or smart solutions. The Figo Concept was envisioned with the Indian market in mind and created with global standards of design, quality and performance.”

The Figo Concept builds on the automaker’s compact car offerings in India. The company has already introduced a sub-four-metre SUV EcoSport last year, which has been a big success and currently has an order backlog of around 60,000 vehicles. Ford estimates compact car sales in India will double to two million vehicles annually over the next four years from about a million vehicles sold in the domestic market currently, and aims at consolidating its presence in the category with its latest offering the Figo Concept.

Tata Motors, on the other hand, is looking at rejuvenating its product portfolio with Zest by the second half of this year. Ranjit Yadav, president (passenger vehicles business), Tata Motors, said, “The car has been engineered for global markets, through global teams across India, the UK and Italy to set new standards in their respective segments. With this, the important part is that we would now be able to address petrol car market.”

Puneet Gupta, associate director, IHS Automotive India, said, “Excise duty on sub-four- metre vehicles at 12 per cent is less than half of that levied on larger vehicles (27 per cent). Manufacturers can reduce the length of the vehicle and introduce products at aggressive price points in the market. This has made such compact sedans an attractive proposition in India. The segment holds a lot of promise and all car makers be it Ford or Hyundai are exploring opportunities.”

Between April and December this year, as many as 169,724 entry-level sedans were sold in the country, which is an increase of around nine per cent over the 156,160 vehicles sold in the same period last financial year. Passenger vehicle sales fell six per cent in the period.

The growth in the entry-level sedan segment has largely been driven by the introduction of sub-four-metre sedans Amaze by Honda Cars India (launched in April 2013) and DZire by Maruti Suzuki. Honda has already clocked sales of 66,859 vehicles of the Amaze, which accounts for over 65 per cent of its overall volumes in the first 10 months of the financial year.

Maruti Suzuki has, in the meantime, sold 162,095 vehicles of the DZire, which is an increase of 23.6 per cent over the 131,177 sold in the same period last year.

Apart from the Zest, Tata Motors also showcased premium hatchback Bolt. Both Zest and Bolt are based on the company’s enhanced X1 platform, on which the existing Vista and Manza models are built. The new models will co-exist with Indica and Indigo. Yadav said, “Both Indica and Indigo are very strong brands and will continue to sell in the market.”

Zest would be available in both petrol and diesel versions, while the Bolt will come only with petrol engine. The diesel variant of the Zest will come with F-Tronic 90 PS-powered engine.

Tata Motors has been struggling to arrest slide in its car sales amid a prolonged slowdown in the domestic market. The company’s volumes in the passenger vehicle segment have dropped by 37% t0 155,571 units till December this fiscal. The new models, introduced after a hiatus of three years, are expected to turnaround sales for Tata Motors by the latter half of this year.

We had reported earlier that Tata is working on the top-spec Vista Tech, and the carmaker has just launched this very variant, which will sit at the top of the Vista line-up. The new Vista Tech comes equipped with all the goodies of the Vista D90. And, like the Vista D90, the new Vista Tech’s interior has its instrument console behind the steering wheel instead of being centrally mounted. The Vista Tech VX also comes with a centrally-mounted 6.5-inch touchscreen multimedia system with audio, video with DVD, USB and Bluetooth compatibility, and can simultaneously connect five mobile devices, including an aux connection and a navigation system. The Vista Tech VX also comes with back-lit steering-mounted controls.

The updated Tata Vista range sees the addition of a new paint shade called Blue Chill. The Vista range has three trims on offer. The base LX comes with the 1.4-litre TDI BS III motor under the hood, while the next trim, the LS, can be purchased either with the 1.4-litre TDI diesel motor or with the 74bhp Quadrajet diesel engine. The top-end new Vista VX Tech is available with only the Quadrajet motor.

Tata Motors have just launched a new variant in the Tata Vista family, the Vista Tech. The new Vista Tech comes in three trim levels, LS, LX and VX and is available in showrooms at prices ranging from Rs 5.01-6.19 lakh. (ex-showroom, Mumbai)

The Tata Vista Tech is available with both BS3 and BS4 options. The Tata Vista Tech LS trim is available with both the 1.4-litre TDI BS3 engine and with the 1.3-litre Quadrajet 75PS BS4 diesel engines. The Tata Vista LX trim is available only with the 1.4-litre TDI BS3 diesel engine while the top-end limited edition variant, the Tata Vista VX Tech is offered with the 1.3-litre, Quadrajet 75PS BS4 diesel engine only.

The new Vista Tech comes equipped with all the goodies of the D90. And, like the D90, the new Vista’s interior has its instrument console behind the steering wheel instead of being centrally mounted. The Vista Tech VX also comes with a centrally-mounted 6.5-inch touchscreen multimedia system with audio, video with DVD, USB and Bluetooth compatibility, and can simultaneously connect five mobile devices, including an aux connection and a navigation system. The Vista Tech also comes with back-lit steering-mounted controls.

The updated Vista range sees the addition of a new paint shade called Blue Chill. The Vista range has three trims on offer. The base LX comes with the 1.4-litre TDI BS III motor under the hood, while the next trim, the LS, can be purchased either with the 1.4-litre TDI diesel motor or with the 74bhp Quadrajet diesel engine. The top-end new Vista VX Tech is available with only the Quadrajet motor.

Commenting on the launch of the new Tata Vista Tech variant, Ankush Arora, Senior Vice President, Passenger Vehicles Unit Tata Motors, said, “We are bringing exciting cars like Vista VX Tech, which has best-in-class features and latest technology, which offers great drive experience and comes packed with high-end features, which are first in the segment. We are proud to introduce this new innovation to the market.”

The Tata Vista VX Tech comes loaded with a 6.5-inch touch screen infotainment system capable of both Audio and Video playback. The infotainment system also comes preloaded with GPS navigation and Bluetooth integration. The Vista VX Tech also offers steering mounted controls and the ‘Drive Pro Console’ trip computer. The new Tata Vista Tech is also available in a new shade, ‘Blue Chill’ and comes with a large ‘TECH’ decal on the sides. The Tata Vista Tech gets full fabric seats and no alloy wheels even on the fully loaded VX model.

MUMBAI: Infusing fresh life into its micro car Nano, Tata Motors on Monday launched a new top end variant of Nano called 'Twist' at Rs 2.36 lakh, ex-showroom New Delhi.

Enhanced to fit its new positioning of 'Smart City Car', the car now comes with electric power steering for and comes loaded with improved beige interiors, new instrument cluster with driver information system, redesigned gearshift console and Damson Purple, a new colour. The price of Twist is 14,000 more than the existing top variant LX.

"About 55% of the population in this country is aged below 25. Nano in its new vibrant and youthful avatar offers a very good alternative to the youth of this country. We only expect the sales to go upwards from here," said Ranjit Yadav, president head, passenger vehicle business unit at Tata Motors.

The Nano Twist has features like remote keyless entry, twin glove boxes and a four-speaker music system with Bluetooth.

The car, aimed at the first time car buyers has increasingly found buyers who are using it as a second car in the family and has been reaching out to more youths.

Of the total number of cars sold by the company in 2012, only 20% of buyers fell in the age bracket of 18-34, the share more than doubled to 55% in 2013. To build the youthful and aspirational value around the brand, Tata Motors through its Awesomeness branding and marketing campaign, have worked with Masaba Gupta, fashion designer and for Nano Twist, it has already tied up with Sunburn festival. Tata Motors promises more on-ground activities and showcases in colleges to woo youth.

The company expectsthe Nano Twist variant sales to make up for 50% of its overall Nano sales going ahead. In the April to December of 2013, the cumulative sales of Nano have declined by a whopping 71.76% year on year to 13,391 units. The company is aiming to build family of Nano cars from Rs 1.55 lakh to Rs 3.25 lakh.

Last year, the company launched the CNG version with the EMAX variant, the Twist is the new addition to the family and going ahead the company plans to bring in a more souped-up version with a one litre engine.

Tata Motors has reinvented its iconic small car, the Nano yet again. After a facelift last year, Tata has made one serious change to the Nano this time around, equipping it with an electric power steering system. The latest avatar of India's most affordable car is called the Tata Nano Twist and has been launched on January 13.

The electric power steering unit, developed by ZF in collaboration with Bosch, should address what was widely considered as one of the car's biggest weaknesses, a heavy steering, especially at parking speeds. The new EPS unit uses a 'brushless' motor and has an 'Active Return' feature (that returns the wheel to the centre after being turned either way) that the carmaker claims is unique in this segment.

The new Tata Nano Twist also gets an all-new instrument cluster with LED fuel and temperature gauges, and readouts for active fuel consumption and distance to empty. The other new feature on the Nano Twist will be the all-new Damson Purple paint shade.

The new Tata Nano Twist is priced at Rs 2.36 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) for the top-end XT variant, Rs 13,000 more than the current LX model. This price point puts it closer to other entry-level hatchbacks like the Hyundai Eon which is priced from Rs 2.89 - 3.95 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) and Maruti's Alto 800, which is priced from Rs 2.45 - 3.65 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).

It is best not to use terms like ‘all-new’ and ‘next-gen’ when it comes to each successive Tata Nano, as that is not Tata Motors’ strategy for this car – at least for now. Like we’ve seen over the years since its launch, the company prefers to give its small city car sequential updates annually to make it more appealing, rather than massive overhauls. That’s understandable, as a whole load of updates at once would push the price of this car up and prove counter productive.

So, over the last few years, we’ve seen the addition of gloveboxes, a left wing mirror and an audio system, to name a few, and improvements to the suspension, seats, ergonomics, engine and gearbox – basically just about every single part of the car. Which means, in essence, this Nano is far improved from the one Tata Motors launched back in 2009.

Now, for 2014, there’s just one mechanical update, but it’s a big one, and one that’s been a long time coming. As you may have guessed from the suffix given to this latest version – Twist – the Tata Nano is now available with power steering. It’s a brushless electric power steering (EPS) unit that’s been developed specially for the Tata Nano Twist by ZF in collaboration with Bosch. This may be the most affordable car in the world, but there’s no stinting when it comes to essential bits; these suppliers are some of the best in the world.

So what has it done for the Tata Nano? In a nutshell, it’s made it much better suited to its purpose – of being a compact runabout for the city. On the non-power-assisted car, you have to wrench the wheel around at parking speeds and low-speed agility is really poor. All the effort and concentration required meant you often preferred not to change course and just dive in an out of gaps. Not anymore.